Chapter 529 New Hope: Part 2
It gave him the ability to move inside the Blacktide?
At first, Lin Sheng thought it was just something regular, but hearing about that effect knocked his socks off. Even he did not dare to go into the Blacktide recklessly. Not just because of the corrosiveness—with his level of strength now, he did not have to worry about that—but many horrible monsters hidden inside the Blacktide.
The nine-fingered black hand he met last time was one of them. If more black hands like that emerged, he would be on his knees, especially when Blacktide was everywhere. It reminded him about the Nightmare Plain in the dream where even the demiG.o.d Dreamweaver inside the Divine Pillar had been corroded and fallen.
As powerful as Lin Sheng was, he still did not think he was anywhere near the demiG.o.d.
“Can you tell me where the Soul Relics are? What is it exactly?” he asked in his mind.
“It was the residue of two powerful beings, who came to this world by accident and died here. I’m afraid the Dark Pantheon has one of them. If you could inform the Sanctum and ask them to do something, maybe you could get your hand on the other one before the Astral Mere does,” Nisse explained.
“I got it. Thanks, Nisse.” Lin Sheng patted her on the head.
She looked down, feeling embarra.s.sed, her face red like a tomato.
…
The Blacktide outbreak had cut off communication between all defensive cities. Each city was now akin to an island on the open sea, cut off from resources and struggling to survive.
Some defensive cities that produced their own food could still hang on. But those cities that produced nothing could only survive by eating the Blacktide monsters. Soon, some meat of the monsters, which did not show any side effects in the short term, spread in different defensive cities.
As the attack of the Blacktide intensified, ordinary folks in the defensive cities started to manifest changes as the lords of the city governed with different policies.
Some cities started to evolve to become a place where the powerful took all and the existence of the weak was just to serve the powerful.
Some cities, however, still maintained the same pre-Blacktide law.
Some cities had completely degenerated into a monarchy, where a few powerful beings had absolute control over the others, treating them as their own playthings and belongings.
Under this macro trend and because of poverty, many ordinary folks, having no choice but to consume the meat of the Blacktide monsters, started to experience changes in their bodies.
The contamination from eating the monster meat was slowly turning them into half-human, half-monster beings.
What surprised people more was, these half-human, half-monster beings could roam inside the Blacktide for a brief time without getting attacked by the other monsters.
These contaminated beings could synthesize something called Soulhunter Stone in their bodies.
By wearing this thing on the body, people could safely roam in the Blacktide without getting attacked by monsters.
Soon, a special profession, called Soul Hunter, began to emerge and become popular in many defensive cities.
The soul hunters would go into the Blacktide, hunting the monsters, and use the monster’s blood to make Soulhunter Stone. By doing this, they could get more food, resources, and social benefits. Other powerful beings could buy these Soulhunter Stones from them so they could roam freely inside the Blacktide.
At this time, dark energy had nearly become useless.
Dark energy cultivators, who could not fight the Blacktide, still enjoyed more excess to the city’s resources.
Soon, however, a Darksider had a conflict with a soul hunter. A melee broke out, and the newly emerging soul hunters were quickly suppressed. But this suppression had also sown a seed of rebellion.
…
Lin Sheng sat in a prime seat in the Holy Spirit Palace, staring in surprise at the Night Lord.
“Pardon me. I didn’t get you. Can you repeat that?”
The Night Lord’s meticulous appearance was gone. He looked a sight.
When he was still in the world of Blackfeather, his family took care of everything for him. Someone constantly reminded him to be mindful of his etiquette and appearance.
After he came to this world, no one could remind him to keep himself in good shape.
He was now wearing pajamas, and his hair was sticking out like a scarecrow. His teeth were so yellow as if he had not brushed them in a year, and his face had the worst five o’clock shadow in the entire universe.
No matter how handsome he used to be, he was a dead loss now. The Night Lord, who used to be elegant and meticulous-looking, had become an unmotivated Sloth King.
“I said, I have achieved a breakthrough. I think it’s because I ate an extra two packs of potato chips,” the Night Lord said matter-of-factly. “It felt like I was going to give up during the breakthrough process. If not for the support from the potato chips, you guys might not even see me here anymore!”
“You’ve achieved a breakthrough?” Lin Sheng pulled a face that told him “you’re not freaking kidding me”.
What level was the Night Lord at now? He was at the limit of a Palatinate.
He had achieved breakthrough once, from regular Palatinate to the apex of Palatinate, through holy power cultivation.
Now, he came here, telling everyone that he had another breakthrough? You must be freaking kidding me. Lin Sheng looked at him in disbelief. The last time he heard from Khadula, the Night Lord had been so lazy that he did not even want to get out of bed. Now this fellow came and told him he had achieved a breakthrough?
What kind of realm was it after the limit of Palatinate? It was the level where Faldt was, the Magister-cla.s.s, just one step away from what Lin Sheng defined as the Legend realm.
“Yes, you have heard it right. I have made a breakthrough.” The Sloth King was liberating himself, picking a huge chunk of booger out of his nose. With the flick of his fingers, the booger flew and landed on the floor of the hall, bouncing up a few times before rolling up in front of Sin Dragon Matriarch, who looked on in disgust.
Telling herself to calm down, Sin Dragon Matriarch held off her urge to give the Night Lord the good news. She willed out a gust of gray air to purify that G.o.dd.a.m.n booger.
“I didn’t get lazy! If you don’t believe me, I can show you my latest achievement.” The Night Lord attempted to stand straight as his skin started to turn a pale gray. His eyes were pure white-gold, and even his stubble, which had pieces of food residue stuck on, grew into a beard. His tousled hair, dyed in holy power, turned him into what might look like Santa Claus.
“See! A dark-skinned Santa Claus!” The Night Lord patted his chest proudly.
Lin Sheng looked at him, not saying a word, but telling himself to calm down. Was this guy coming here to test his patience? Although he could sense from the intensity of power fluctuation that the Night Lord had become stronger, appearance-wise, he was too ridiculous.
“I have come at once after achieving the breakthrough. You can rest a.s.sured that I will do an excellent job if you let me be in charge of Shermanton.” The Night Lord patted his chest again.
“I don’t know what you are thinking, but… if you can take care of your appearance, it would be more convincing,” Lin Sheng said with a shrug.
“Am I not doing what you want now?” At least the Night Lord knew he was part of Lin Sheng’s soul, never forgetting his duty.